Occupation: I have worked in the Community Services Division of Crusader Community Health for the last 10 years. In my role there, I have done HIV counseling, testing and prevention throughout the community. I have also coordinated a number of special projects and collaborative efforts with other organizations in our service area that have addressed issues of health disparity. I am currently the Community Services Grant Administrator and a Law Student at John Marshall Law School of Chicago.

Transform Rockford involvement: I’ve worked with Transform Rockford as both a moderator and smaller group facilitator at several community visioning sessions. I am also assisting in the facilitation of the vision drafting process.

The importance of shared values: To me, the shared values are critical because numerous movements have come and gone — most of them expressed little to no concern regarding whose voices were not being heard. I firmly believe that if you’re not at the table, you’re likely on the menu. This community has seen more than its fair share of initiatives, meetings, developments and plans that have ignored the needs and real-life perspectives of the people most directly impacted by their proposed outcomes. I know that there are many skeptics who believe that a process like this one can neither be genuine nor successful. We welcome their skepticism, along with their vision for what this community can become. Our shared values welcome the critics and naysayers and invite them to just dream a little. The shared values affirm this movement’s realization that our community deserves better, and together we can make it better. But we must embody every shared value to escape mediocrity and make that happen.